E3 Countdown: RAGE 2

Funky post apocalypse is back after quite the time off the road, RAGE originally stormed shelves way back in 2011 taking id shooters on a Mad Max style journey which involved a large amount of vehicle combat and exploration.

Enlisting over the top action developers Avalanche hot off their cult Mad Max release could make for a beautiful partnership, the gunplay of id with the atmosphere and open range car destruction sounds like the perfect trajectory for the series.

WHEN WAS IT ANNOUNCED?

As part of the large Walmart leak of titles in anticipation of E3 we saw a snippet of RAGE 2 which led to Bethesda racing out a full trailer and details just this month.

WHERE WILL WE SEE IT?

Bethesda love their big E3 showcase event so you can look forward to a huge, over the top RAGE 2 themed production. I’m thinking pogo sticks on stage with wingstick contests out the back.

WHEN WILL IT RELEASE?

In recent times Bethesda has been trying to reveal their titles close to release, with Wolfenstein 2 and Evil Within 2 both hitting shelves within a few months of their E3 showcase. At this stage a 2019 would be very much expected at worst, especially with the joint development resources.

WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE?

Action, action and action. id came back strong with the recent Doom reboot which shoved old school FPS sensibilities into a current generation framework to great success. Giving us the same highly explosive gameplay loops in a huge post apocalypse playground is something that would be hard to drive passed. Pillage a few elements from their friends in Fallout and Mad Max for the ultimate wasteland magnum opus.

Can I say battle royal without someone yelling at me? Seriously, it makes too much sense not to try. No need for Thunderdome, massive expanses of dust covered debris littered with destructive environments to fullfil your Twisted Metal desires could be a ton of fun. Another spraypaint sniffing elephant in the room is Borderlands, how much will RAGE 2 crib from their low brow script or incredibly successful co-op playbook.